Please sign in to your FIFA.com user account below. This will allow you to make the most of your account with personalization, plus get access to commenting tools, exclusive games, the chance to win cool football prizes and much, much more.

Canada starts its warm welcome to qualified nations

The National Organising Committee for the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 has sent a warm welcome to the five Asian nations that have qualified for the world's premier football competition.

"We welcome Australia, China PR, Japan, Korea Republic and Thailand and congratulate them on their successful qualification to the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015," said Victor Montagliani, Chairman of the National Organising Committee for the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015. "On behalf of all Canadians, we wish these five Asian nations all the best in their preparations towards next year's competition."

As timing would have it, Asia's qualification to the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 coincided with Canada's Asian Heritage Month, celebrated annually in the month of May since 2002.

Of note, next year will mark the first-ever participation by Thailand, who qualified through Asia's match for fifth place on Wednesday 21 May.

"We take special interest in the growth of the women's game around the world, noting that more than 125 nations will participate in this competition through more than a year-and-a-half of FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 Qualifiers," said Montagliani.

From more than 300 matches of Qualifiers, 24 finalists will participate in next year's FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015. The competition runs from 6 June to 5 July 2015 from coast to coast across Canada, with matches to be played in: Vancouver, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Ottawa, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; and Moncton, New Brunswick.